'Sexiest female MP' Penny Mordaunt to take the plunge in Splash!

TAKING THE PLUNGE: Penny Mordaunt will be taking part in Tom Daley's Splash! [PA]

MP Penny Mordaunt has come under fire after revealing she will stripping down to a skimpy swimsuit to take part in the third heat of Tom Daley's show.

The 40-year-old, who was voted the sexiest female MP in a poll in 2011, will go up against TOWIE's Dan Osbourne, model Danielle Lloyd, comedian Patrick Monahan and former pop star Paul Young.

But despite pledging to donate her fee to the renovation of a local lido, Mordaunt has come under fire for her decision to join the show.

Mordaunt, who is parliamentary private secretary to Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, said: "I have the elegance and drive of a paving slab, but my navy training has certainly given me the guts to take on the challenge head on.

CAMERON'S CUTIE: Mordaunt was once voted the sexiest female MP [PA]

OUTRAGE: A Portsmouth councillor has made his views known [TWITTER]

“Not only is Splash! a great personal development experience but it also seemed like the perfect way to fund raise for a charity I'm very passionate about”

Penny Mordaunt MP

"Not only is Splash! a great personal development experience but it also seemed like the perfect way to fund raise for a charity I'm very passionate about - the Hilsea Lido in Portsmouth which is being renovated by the community. I will be donating my fee for the programme to assist with the renovations."

But the Portsmouth North MP has been blasted by some of her political colleagues, who see her participation in the ITV show as abandoning her duties as an MP.

Councillor John Ferrett, head of the Portsmouth Labour Party Group and Mordaunt's political opponent, tweeted his outrage at her announcement, writing: "Truly astonishing. Whilst workers rallying to save 1000 jobs their MP has been training for celebrity gameshow!"

Alluding to the fact that Portsmouth is currently facing a threat to its shipbuilding industry, the councillor continued: "Whilst workers worrying about keeping jobs & homes she's been promoting minor celebrity status" and branded her decision to join the show "appalling".

CELEB MAGNET: Stars from every area are flocking to take part in Splash! [ITV]

UNDER FIRE: Several politicians and commentators have expressed their outrage at Penny's decision to join Splash! [PA]

However, Mordaunt, who was dubbed one of 'Cameron's cuties' after appearing in a Vanity Fair spread in 2010 with other female politicians, doesn't seem to be taking her opponents' criticisms to heart.

Speaking to The News, she said: "I’m 40 years old. I am Royal Navy fit and I am doing something which is a tremendous personal development experience and I think the majority of people in Portsmouth will get behind me.

"There may be some political opponents who will try and make mischief but if they don’t like the show, they can switch off."

This isn't the first time a politician has been blasted for taking part in reality TV.

George Galloway created controversy when he donned a clingy catsuit and pretended to be a cat in Celebrity Big Brother, while Mordaunt's party colleague Nadine Dorries was slammed for appearing on I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!

CELEB STATUS: Nadine Dorries' decision to fly Down Under was not well-received [TIM MERRY]